Headstart / Early Headstart

Dear Fairfield Tiger Families,

We are so excited to share a major milestone with you! Today, we are launching the very first edition of the Fairfield City Schools Head Start and Early Head Start Newsletter.

Our goal is to keep you connected, informed, and proud of the wonderful experiences your children have in our classrooms every day. In this "Springing into Action" edition, you’ll find:

A Message from Diane Chavers: Insights from our Program Manager.

Volunteer Spotlight: Meet Deiree Jones, our creative Parent Partner.

Important Dates: Details on Spring Break (March 23–27) and our upcoming Sneaker Ball.

Stay Connected: Links to our brand-new website and Facebook page.

Click here to read the Spring 2026 Newsletter

Thank you for being such vital partners in this journey. Happy reading!

Warmly,
The Fairfield City Schools Head Start Team

Good morning, Head Start families! Today is our Parent Meeting at 8:00 a.m., and we're looking forward to connecting with the parents and caregivers who help make our program community strong. From the classroom to the living room, children's earliest learning experiences are shaped by the adults who encourage their curiosity, celebrate their progress, and support their development. Your voice and participation are valuable parts of that process. Thank you for being an active partner in your child's early learning journey! #FCSHeadStart #EarlyHeadStart #ParentEngagement #HeadStartFamilies #GrowingTogether

What happens when everyone in the house piles into one cozy bed for a nap? Our October Book of the Month, The Napping House by Audrey Wood, takes young readers on a playful journey filled with repetition, rhythm, and a wonderfully unexpected wake-up call! But there's something special happening as children listen to the story unfold. They're learning to recognize patterns, remember sequences, predict what happens next, and build the language skills that prepare them for reading. 📖 Try this at home: Read a familiar story with your child and pause before turning the page. Ask, "What do you think happens next?" You might be surprised by how much your little one remembers! #FCSHeadStart #EarlyLiteracy #BookOfTheMonth #TheNappingHouse #GrowingReaders

A child's first teachers are the people who love and care for them at home. And when families and educators work together, children benefit. At Fairfield City Schools Head Start/Early Head Start, family engagement is an important part of helping our youngest learners grow, develop, and prepare for future academic success. 📅 Parent Meeting Reminder! Parents and caregivers, our next Parent Meeting is this Wednesday, October 14, at 8:00 a.m. These meetings are an opportunity to stay informed about program activities, connect with other families, and take an active role in your child's early education experience. We look forward to seeing you Wednesday morning! #FCSHeadStart #EarlyHeadStart #FamilyEngagement #GrowingTogether #ParentMeeting

This weekend, take learning outside.

Go for a short walk together and ask your child to find three signs that the season is changing.

Maybe the leaves look different. Maybe the air feels cooler. Maybe there are acorns on the ground or fewer flowers in the yard.

Let your child lead the observations.

Then ask one simple question:

“What do you think will change next?”

You’ve just turned a walk around the neighborhood into a lesson in science, language and critical thinking.

The classroom may close for the weekend. Curiosity doesn’t.

#GrowingTogether #FCSHeadStart #FamilyEngagement #FallLearning #HeadStartAtHome

To a child, it may just look like a ball.

Roll it. Bounce it. Toss it. Catch it. Chase it.

But while children play, something else is happening.

They are practicing coordination and motor skills. They are learning about speed, direction, size and movement. They are taking turns, solving problems and discovering what happens when they try something differently.

Play is one of childhood’s first classrooms.

At Fairfield City Schools Head Start/Early Head Start, everyday experiences like these are intentionally used to help children build skills they will carry into kindergarten and beyond.

#WhyHeadStart #FCSHeadStart #LearningThroughPlay #SchoolReadiness

Before heading out the door tomorrow morning, take 30 seconds to look outside together.

Ask your child:

What do you see?
Is it sunny, cloudy or rainy?
Does it feel warm or cool?
What should we wear today?

That tiny conversation introduces observation, vocabulary, decision-making and early science.

No worksheet required.

Sometimes learning begins by simply asking a child to notice the world around them.

#GrowingTogether #FCSHeadStart #HeadStartAtHome #EarlyLearning #WeatherWatch

Today is Dental Screening Day at Fairfield City Schools Head Start/Early Head Start!

Healthy teeth are an important part of a healthy start. Regular dental screenings can help identify concerns early while helping children become familiar and comfortable with caring for their teeth.

For young children, those healthy habits begin one toothbrush, one checkup and one smile at a time.

Today, we’re helping our little learners keep those smiles shining bright. 🪥✨

#FCSHeadStart #EarlyHeadStart #HealthySmiles #WholeChild #HeadStartHealth

Parents and caregivers, Dental Screening Day is tomorrow!

Please make sure your child is present on Tuesday, October 6, for dental screenings at Fairfield City Schools Head Start/Early Head Start.

Dental health is an important part of a child’s overall health and development. These screenings give us an opportunity to identify potential concerns early while helping our young learners become comfortable with caring for their teeth and smiles.

Healthy habits start early, and tomorrow we’re putting those little smiles first. 🪥✨

📅 Tuesday, October 6
🦷 Dental Screening Day
📍 Fairfield City Schools Head Start/Early Head Start

🌳 🔤 🎶 September gave our Tiny Tigers plenty to explore!

Our Head Start learners investigated Trees. Our Early Head Start children explored Alphabet & Numbers. Across both programs, Nursery Rhymes filled classrooms with rhythm, repetition and language.

And somewhere in the middle of it all, a whole alphabet tried to climb a coconut tree. 🌴

Through Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, September's Book of the Month, our children found another playful way to connect books with the concepts they were discovering all around them.

The themes will change in October, but learning keeps on growing.

#LearningInAction #ChickaChickaBoomBoom #TinyTigers #HeadStart #EarlyHeadStart

Head Start is about preparing children for school.

But the work doesn't stop at the classroom door.

Early learning, health and developmental support, family engagement and school readiness work together because children don't grow in pieces.

They grow as whole people, surrounded by families and communities that influence who they are becoming.

That's what makes Head Start more than a classroom.

It's an investment in the beginning of a child's story.

#WhyHeadStart #WholeChild #SchoolReadiness #HeadStart

🎤 This week's family challenge requires no worksheets, supplies or screen time.

Just your voice!

Choose a favorite nursery rhyme and sing it together. Leave off the final word of a familiar line and see whether your child can finish it.

Repetition makes this simple enough to do in the car, during bath time, while getting dressed or before bed.

Learning doesn't stop when children leave the classroom. Some of the best lessons happen in the ordinary spaces families already share.

#GrowingTogether #FamilyLearning #NurseryRhymes #HeadStartAtHome

🍂 Let’s count what nature gives us.

A tree study can become a math lesson in seconds.

How many leaves did we collect? Which one is bigger? Which stick is shorter? Can we sort the leaves by size or shape?

These simple questions help young children begin practicing counting, comparing, sorting and describing, all while exploring something they can see and touch.

That’s the beauty of early childhood education. One discovery can lead to another.

#LearningInAction #EarlyMath #HeadStart #LearningThroughPlay

🌴 What happens when the alphabet meets your child’s name?

This week, bring Chicka Chicka Boom Boom home by helping your child identify the letters in their name.

Write the letters separately, say each one aloud and help your child put them in order. Older preschoolers can search for matching letters in books, magazines or around the house.

For our youngest learners, simply hearing their name while seeing its first letter begins building familiarity.

Chicka chicka boom boom… will YOUR name fit in the room? 🔤

#ChickaChickaBoomBoom #LiteracyCorner #FamilyLearning #TinyTigers

🎶 Twinkle, twinkle, little star... There's a reason nursery rhymes have survived generations. Their rhythm, repetition and predictable language invite young children to listen, remember and join in. Those playful sounds also give children opportunities to hear how words and language work. September's Nursery Rhymes theme lets our Tiny Tigers learn through something children naturally love to do, sing, repeat and play with words. Weekend Challenge: Share a nursery rhyme you remember from childhood with your child. You might be surprised by how quickly they begin saying it with you. #LiteracyCorner #NurseryRhymes #EarlyLiteracy #GrowingTogether

It may look like play. But listen closely. There is language being developed. Problems being solved. Turns being taken. Questions being asked. Confidence being built. In early childhood, play is learning. Head Start and Early Head Start create environments where children can explore and practice the developmental skills that prepare them for what comes next. That's why the little moments matter so much. #WhyHeadStart #LearningThroughPlay #WholeChild #SchoolReadiness

🔤 1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣... we're building the foundations for learning! This month, Early Head Start children are exploring Alphabet & Numbers through age-appropriate experiences that introduce them to letters, sounds, quantities and patterns. At this age, learning doesn't have to look like sitting at a desk. It happens through songs, books, movement, play and repetition. Every time little learners hear a counting song, notice a familiar letter or practice saying a number, another connection is being made. Watch here: https://www.facebook.com/share/r/1BH4stVLdf/?mibextid=wwXIfr #EarlyHeadStart #LearningInAction #EarlyLearning #SchoolReadiness

There is something special about the moment a child begins to recognize, "That's my letter!"

Letters become much more meaningful when children discover them inside their own names.

This week, celebrate a #TinyTigerMoment by looking for the first letter of your child's name together. Find it on a cereal box, street sign, book or package around the house.

The alphabet is everywhere once little eyes learn what to look for. 🔤

Follow our facebook to see the Awesome Apples video:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587343764569

#TinyTigerMoments #LearningEverywhere #EarlyHeadStart #EarlyLearning

🌴 A told B, and B told C... it's time to meet September's Book of the Month!

This month, our Head Start and Early Head Start classrooms are exploring Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, a lively story that brings letters, rhythm and repetition together around one very busy coconut tree.

And it couldn't be a better companion to September's learning.

Our Head Start students are exploring Trees, while our Early Head Start learners are working with Alphabet & Numbers. Both programs will also spend time with Nursery Rhymes.

One book. Several opportunities to build language, curiosity and early literacy.

Family Learning: After reading together, ask your child which letter would climb the coconut tree first. Start with the letters in their name!

#LiteracyCorner #ChickaChickaBoomBoom #EarlyLiteracy #TinyTigers

🎵🔬📚 Learning Happens Everywhere at Head Start!
What does learning look like in early childhood?

Sometimes it sounds like children creating music, discovering rhythm, patterns and new ways to express themselves. Sometimes it looks like a young scientist exploring how the world works, or a little learner proudly recognizing a letter, counting to a new number or turning the pages of a favorite book.

And sometimes, learning means moving. 🏃🏾‍♀️

From physical education that strengthens growing bodies and coordination, to computer time that introduces young learners to technology, our Tiny Tigers have opportunities to explore many different areas of learning.

Because at Head Start, education isn't confined to one subject or one corner of the classroom. Music nurtures creativity and listening. Science encourages curiosity and problem-solving. Reading, letters and numbers build the foundation for literacy and math. Physical activity supports healthy development. Technology introduces another way to explore, create and learn.

Every experience adds another piece to the foundation our children are building.

Little hands are exploring. Little minds are making connections. And every day, our Tiny Tigers are discovering just how much they can do. 💜🐯

#LearningInAction #TinyTigers #HeadStart #EarlyHeadStart #EarlyLearning #SchoolReadiness #WholeChildDevelopment